Float assembly means

ABSTRACT

A float assembly means that includes platform consisting of a plurality of floats adjoined to float on the surface of a body of water; a bottom base below the water surface consisting of a plurality of floats adjoined that are submerged in the water; and a surrounding wall disposed between the platform and the bottom base consisting of a plurality of floats stacked together that are submerged in the water. The surrounding wall is formed of a plurality of wall surfaces, each wall surface collectively closing off a sealed area. The sealed area, at its lower extent, is closured by the bottom base and an opening is formed over the recess in its upper extent. The resulting structure is capable of, on a water surface, covering a specific body of water to form a safe swimming and water recreation area.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1) Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a float assembly means capable of, on a watersurface, covering a specific body of water to form a safe swimming andwater recreation area, its structure also capable of adjustment in thewater for buoyancy and appropriate positioning on the water.

2) Description of the Related Art

Many float patents are presented under the Taiwan Patent Bulletinnumbers 254801, 259076, 259077, 260135, 287513, 315829, 329080, 370072,370958, and 0358452. Said float patents generally disclose an identicaltype of hollow cavity float structure, but the float-to-float connectivemeans consists of a tab disposed at the four corners of each float, witha mounting hole in each tab, such that when the tabs of two floats arestacked one above the other, their mounting holes aligned, a fasteningrod is inserted through the two stacked mounting holes to thereby enablethe coupling of the two floats; while such float structures areadmittedly practical, the hollow cavities are excessively large, therebyproviding a gross buoyancy of a greater degree even though the tabs atthe corners are relatively thin and, as a result, as the float issubjected to center-of-pressure stress to the extent that the tabs aredriven apart due the moment of force exerted, the connective stabilityof the floats is less than optimal; furthermore, such floats are moresuited for horizontal connection and although they may be in an upperand lower connective arrangement, this is achieved by the insertion of acord from top to bottom through the float tabs, however, since the cordis typically of a small diameter and the tab mounting holes are larger(since they originally provide for the insertion of fastening rods),following upper and lower routing and given the in-water forces offloatation, shifting instability is even higher; furthermore, saidconventional floats are only capable of being assembled intotwo-dimensional water surface platforms and since it is not possible tosolve, when numerous floats are assembled together, the enormous grossbuoyancy and the problem of how to achieve submersion, therefore,on-water three-dimensional platforms cannot be utilized.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The objective of the invention herein is to provide an improved floatassembly means which includes: a platform consisting of a plurality offloats adjoined to float on the surface of a body of water; a bottombase below the water surface consisting of a plurality of floatsadjoined that are submerged in the water; a surrounding wall disposedbetween said platform and bottom base consisting of a plurality offloats stacked together that are submerged in the water, said floats,after stacking, form a multiple faceted, suitably angled, and verticalwall surface, each wall surface collectively closing off a sealed area;the sealed area at its lower extent is closured by said bottom base andan opening is formed over the recess in its upper extent; said structurecapable of, on a water surface, covering a specific body of water toform a safe swimming and water recreation area.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the present invention shall becomeapparent in the following detailed description of the preferredembodiments, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an isometric drawing of the preferred embodiment of theinvention herein.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional drawing of the preferred embodiment of theinvention herein (the drawing showing the buoyancy augmenting device inFIG. 7).

FIG. 3 is an exploded drawing of the preferred embodiment float assemblymeans of the invention herein.

FIG. 4 is an exploded drawing of another preferred embodiment floatassembly means of the invention herein.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional drawing of the float assembly meanspreferred embodiment shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is an isometric drawing of the preferred embodiment buoyancyaugmenting device of the invention herein, turned over to show its rearside.

FIG. 7 is an isometric drawing of another preferred embodiment buoyancyaugmenting device of the invention herein.

FIG. 8 is an exploded drawing of the preferred embodiment bottom basenet entity of the invention herein.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional drawing of the preferred embodiment bottombase net entity of the invention herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In the detailed description of the preferred embodiments, it should benoted that similar elements are indicated by the same reference numeralsthroughout the disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the preferred embodiments of theinvention herein consist of floats assembled into a swimming poolpreferred embodiment, that in its entirety can be employed in lakes,oceans, marshes, reservoirs, and other bodies of water; the assembledarrangement of which is not limited to the dimensions and shape ofpreferred embodiments herein; the preferred embodiments of the presentinvention comprised of:

A platform 1 consisting of a plurality of floats 22 adjoined to float onthe surface of a body of water; the float 22 quantity is based onswimming pool dimensions, and the enlargement of the platform 1accomplished as required by adjunction of more rows of floats 22; abottom base 3 below the water surface consisting of a plurality offloats 22 adjoined that are submerged in the water; a surrounding wall 4disposed between said platform 1 and bottom base 3 consisting of aplurality of floats 21 stacked together that are submerged in the water,said floats 21, after stacking, form a multiple faceted, suitablyangled, and vertical wall surface 41, each wall surface 41 collectivelyclosing off a sealed area 42; the sealed area 42 at its lower extent isclosured by said bottom base 3 and an opening 421 is formed over therecess in its upper extent, with said platform 1 disposed around theexterior sides of the sealed area 42 opening 421 and includingprovisions for the wall surface 41 upward and outward extension; saidplatform 1, bottom base 3, and surrounding wall 4 all utilize in commonthe float 21 shown in FIG. 3 or the structure shown in FIG. 5; the float21 in FIG. 5 is used for the preferred embodiment surrounding wall 4 inFIG. 1 and the float 22 in FIG. 4 for the platform 1 and the bottom base3.

Referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 5, said float 21 has a cavitary body 211,generally in the shape of a rectangular solid, the interior space ofwhich is of soft plastic construction, the cavitary body 211, at itsupper extent, has a first conjoinment structure raised seat 212, with atotal of two such raised seats 212 disposed, each raised seat 212 of anoctagonal shape; at the cavitary body 211 lower extent and in verticalalignment with said raised seat 212 is a second conjoinment structurerecessed seat 213, with a total of two such recessed seats 213, eachrecessed seat 213 of an octagonal shape and having disposed within ainset hole 214; the cavitary body 211 has disposed through its center aplurality of tubular entities 215, each tubular entity 215 havinginternally formed through it a passage 216, one end of each passage 216contiguous to the raised seat 212 at the upper extent, with the oppositeend contiguous to the recessed seat 213 inset hole 214; the passage 216hole diameter through the inset hole 214 is smaller than the width ofthe inset hole 214 and, as a result, each inset hole 214 has formed atits bottom section a shoulder section 217; the cavitary body 211, alongthe periphery of its lateral sides, has disposed a plurality of top tobottom juxtaposed, shallow grooves 218; the cavitary body 211 along theperiphery of its lateral sides at the same time has disposed, leftduring hollow forming, a mold junction opening 219, which is plugged bymeans of a filler and thereby sealed; and the cavitary body 211 alongeach of its upper and lower extent surfaces has correspondingly disposeda guide slot 210.

The float 21, at its upper extent, can have disposed a step pad 5, thetop surface of which features a plurality of incised patterns 51,thereby forming an anti-slip surface; the step pad 5 top surface, inline with the position of the raised seat 212 on said cavitary body 211,has recessively disposed a sunken hole 52; the step pad 5 bottomsurface, in line with the position of the raised seat 212 on saidcavitary body 211, has recessively disposed, and also matching theraised seat 212 octagonal shape, a sunken hole 53; in line with thefloat 21 guide slot 210, is disposed a matching slot 54; and between thesunken hole 52 and the sunken hole 53 is formed a through-hole 55.

Between the step pad 5 and the float 21, included screws 61 and nuts 62of two fastening components 6, provide for conjoinment, and after thefastening components 6 affix the step pad 5 to the float 21, in the steppad 5 sunken hole 52 is placed a cap 63.

Referring to FIG. 4, the float 22 has two times the physical bulk of thefloat 21 and, therefore, its conjoinment arrangement results in thedisposing of four raised seats 221, their interior section and bottomsection structure and material are generally identical to that of thefloat 21 in FIG. 3 and thus for the same reason do not require furtherelaboration; however, since its physical bulk is larger, in line and ateach of the two sides is recessively disposed a holding place 223, whichenables the entry of two hands to facilitate moving; additionally, sincethe holding place 223 occupies the cavitary body 222 at two sides, amold junction opening 224 left during hollow forming is disposed at theholding place 223 outside its other side; its step pad 56 accordsidentically with that of the arrangement shown in FIG. 3, but thephysical bulk is increased by a factor of one; the accompanyingfastening component 6 quantity, relative to that in FIG. 3, is increasedby a factor of one; and the cavitary body 222 along each of its upperand lower extent surfaces has correspondingly disposed, in a criss-crossincised arrangement, a guide slot 225.

Referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, a port 7 constituting a submergibilityaugmenting structure, which can be disposed in the swimming poolplatform 1 of FIG. 1, or on the bottom base 3 or the surrounding wall 4of any float 21 or 22, enables the admittance of water into the float 21or float 22, with whether several or just one float 21 or float 22 havethe port 7 disposed, as well as the total quantity of ports 7,determining the overall degree of submergence.

Referring to FIG. 6, a buoyancy augmenting device 8 can be disposed onsaid platform 1, bottom base 3 or surrounding wall 4, the drawing hereinrespectively showing that at the platform 1 lower extent, that along twosides of the surrounding wall 4, and that at the lower extent of thebottom base 3, the two do not have to be in place at the same time, andcan, according to overall swimming pool volume and gross buoyancy (seawater and fresh water buoyancy differ), be disposed in one or moregroups, the drawing herein depicting two as one group disposed in aparallel arrangement; the structure consists of a soft material, such asa rubber, construction hollow tubular entity 81, its upper extent havingdisposed an air nozzle 82, with its shape of an appropriate length and,by a plurality of U-shaped mounting brackets 83 at suitable intervalsapart, that is attached to the outside of the surrounding wall 4 orbeneath the bottom base 3.

Referring to FIG. 7, said buoyancy augmenting device 8, based onswimming pool shape, can also be formed around the surrounding wall 4 orcircumferentially disposed at the bottom base 3 lower extent as anannular hollow tubular entity 84 and, by a plurality of U-shapedmounting brackets 85 at suitable intervals apart, that is attachedthereon.

In the preferred embodiment swimming pool structure of the inventionherein, first by means of float 22 (or the float 21) adjoinment apredetermined shape and size bottom base 3 is built, then on the bottombase 3 around the perimeter by means of float 21 (or the float 22)stacking a surrounding wall 4 is built, each wall surface 41 of whichforms a sealed area 42; the sealed area 42 opening 421 outer side,consists of, at the wall surface 41 upper extent, floats 22 that arestacked such that they extend towards the wall surface 41 exterior, theextension width determined by the platform 1 size required; on theplatform 1 and each wall surface 41 surrounding the sealed area 42 aswell as the lower extent bottom base 3, is disposed the step pad 5 orstep pad 56, and affixed into position by the fastening components 6;wherein, the step pad 5 or step pad 56 is in principle spread againstthe differing adjoined float 22 intervals to minimize, between any twofloats 22, shifting when subjected to water surface undulation, therebyincreasing stability. Additionally, the surrounding wall 4 upper andlower individual floats 21 are higher in terms of length and, therefore,from the platform 1 floats 22 through the surrounding wall 4 and each ofits floats 21 to the lower extent bottom base 3 and its floats 22,longer screws 61 of the fastening components 61 affix them intoposition. In consideration of overall swimming pool volume, if thesurrounding wall 4 is quite high and the sealed area 42 is not large,then in a certain quantity of floats 21 and 22, the ports 7 constitutingthe submergibility augmenting structure, enables at minimum for aplatform 1 floating on the water surface under the conditions previouslystated, the admittance of water into the ports 7 to achieve sinking in abody of water to an appropriate degree of submergence; said ports 7,when so required, can be drilled directly in floats 21 and 22 lackingports 7.

If the surrounding wall 4 is relatively shallow but the sealed area 42is comparatively large, then the gross buoyancy may be of a lessermagnitude; when building, at the buoyancy augmenting device 8 disposedon the bottom base 3 or the surrounding wall 4, a gas is pumped into thetubular entity 81 or 84 to increase the total buoyancy.

Said ports 7 constituting the submergibility augmenting structure andthe buoyancy augmenting device 8 are both at the same time disposed inthe swimming pool structure, but the disposing of one or another of thetwo is a selectable option that is wholly determined by the situation atthe time of construction.

Referring to FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, on the bottom base 3, the guide slot 220of each float 22 accommodates the installation of a metal or othersuitable material net entity 9 after which the step pad 56 is inserted,and since the step pad 56, in addition to having the channels 57, alsohas the channels 58 formed along the two sides at its lower extent,therefore, two step pads 56 have channels 58 that together form with thechannels 57 identically sized grid areas and, therefore, can, with thefloat 22 guide slots 220, all accommodate the net entity 9; the netentity 9 is capable of protecting swimming pools from incidents due toexcessive user presence, thereby averting accidents.

In summation of the foregoing section, since the structural design ofthe preferred embodiments not only provides a float assembly meanscapable of, on a water surface, covering a specific body of water in athree-dimensional spatial arrangement to form a safe swimming and waterrecreation area, its structure is also adjustable in the water forbuoyancy and appropriate positioning on the water.

While the present invention has been described in connection with whatis considered the most practical and preferred embodiments, it isunderstood that the invention herein is not limited to the disclosedembodiments, but is intended to cover various arrangements includedwithin the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretations andequivalent arrangements.

1. A float assembly means that includes: a platform consisting of aplurality of floats adjoined to float on the surface of a body of water;a bottom base below the water surface consisting of a plurality offloats adjoined that are submerged in the water; a surrounding walldisposed between said platform and bottom base consisting of a pluralityof floats stacked together that are submerged in the water, said floats,after stacking, form a multiple faceted, suitably angled, and verticalwall surface, each wall surface collectively closing off a sealed area;the sealed area at its lower extent is closured by said bottom base andan opening is formed over the recess in its upper extent; said structurecapable of, on a water surface, covering a specific body of water toform a safe swimming and water recreation area.
 2. A float assemblymeans as claimed in claim 1, wherein said platform is disposed aroundthe exterior sides of said sealed area opening and includes provisionsfor said wall surface upward and outward extension.
 3. A float assemblymeans as claimed in claim 1, wherein said platform, each said wallsurface collectively enclosing said sealed area, and the lower extentsaid bottom base have disposed over them a step pad.
 4. A float assemblymeans as claimed in claim 3, wherein said step pad has recessivelydisposed a sunken hole; and the step pad bottom surface has recessivelydisposed a sunken hole; and between the former said sunken hole and thelatter said sunken hole is formed a through-hole.
 5. A float assemblymeans as claimed in claim 3, wherein said step pad has on its topsurface a plurality of incised patterns, thereby forming an anti-slipsurface.
 6. A float assembly means as claimed in claim 1, wherein saidstep pad and said float are respectively conjoined by fasteningcomponents.
 7. A float assembly means as claimed in claim 6, whereinsaid fastening components include screws and nuts.
 8. A float assemblymeans as claimed in claim 1, wherein said floats have disposed on them aport that constitutes a submergibility augmenting structure.
 9. A floatassembly means as claimed in claim 8, wherein said port is disposed insaid wall surface of a certain quantity of said floats.
 10. A floatassembly means as claimed in claim 1, wherein said platform, said bottombase, or said surrounding wall is additionally disposed a buoyancyaugmenting device.
 11. A float assembly means as claimed in claim 10,wherein said buoyancy augmenting device consists of a soft materialconstruction hollow tubular entity, said tubular entity attached bymounting brackets.
 12. A float assembly means as claimed in claim 10,wherein said tubular entity is disposed in groups of two at said bottombase lower extent or along two sides of said surrounding wall.
 13. Afloat assembly means as claimed in claim 11, wherein said tubular entitycan also be formed around the surrounding wall or circumferentiallydisposed at the bottom base lower extent.
 14. A float assembly means asclaimed in claim 11, wherein said float has a cavitary body, theinterior of which is hollow; said cavitary body, at its upper extent,has a first conjoinment structure, and at the cavitary body lower extentand in vertical alignment with said first conjoinment structure is asecond conjoinment structure.
 15. A float assembly means as claimed inclaim 14, wherein said first conjoinment structure is a raised seat andsaid second conjoinment structure is a recessed seat.
 16. A floatassembly means as claimed in claim 15, wherein said raised seat and saidrecessed seat are each disposed such that two form one group.
 17. Afloat assembly means as claimed in claim 16, wherein said raised seatand said recessed seat are disposed in two groups.
 18. A float assemblymeans as claimed in claim 1, wherein said float has a cavitary body, theinterior of which is hollow; said cavitary body has disposed through itscenter a tubular entity, each said tubular entity having internallyformed through it a passage.
 19. A float assembly means as claimed inclaim 18, wherein said passage has one end contiguous to said raisedseat at the upper extent of said cavitary body that constitutes saidfirst conjoinment structure, with its opposite end contiguous to saidrecessed seat at the lower extent of said cavitary body that constitutessaid second conjoinment structure.
 20. A float assembly means as claimedin claim 1, wherein said float, along the periphery of its lateralsides, has disposed a plurality of top to bottom juxtaposed, shallowgrooves.
 21. A float assembly means as claimed in claim 1, wherein saidfloat has at each of its two sides a recessively disposed a holdingplace, which enables the entry of two hands to facilitate moving.
 22. Afloat assembly means as claimed in claim 1, wherein said float has guideslots disposed on it.
 23. A float assembly means as claimed in claim 1,wherein on said bottom base, said guide slot of each said floataccommodates the installation of a net entity.